PERSONNEL:

DONALD HARRISON, alto sax
CHRISTIAN SCOTT, trumpet
MULGREW MILLER, piano
ZACCAI CURTIS, piano only on track 6
LUQUES CURTIS, bass
JOHN LAMKIN, drums

New York, November 22, 2004

TRACKS

01. The Survivor
02. Twerk It
03. Summertime
04. Cool Breeze
05. The Hook Up
06. Oriental Folk Song
07. Nouveau Swing
08. Sincerely Yours
09. Caravan (Who Is The Funky Drummer).

Donald Harrison is a well-established neo-bop sax player. He has brought a lot of freshness to the jazz scene and The Survivor continues along those lines with a lot of funky contemporary flair. Whether it is the title track or the cool funky beats behind 'Twerk It' and 'The Hook Up' Donald Harrison manages to again create new space with songs that have appeal to both straight ahead and contemporary jazz listeners. He also modernizes classic numbers like 'Summertime' and 'Caravan'.
The band is a quintet with the amazing Mulgrew Miller on piano, the gifted youngster Christian Scott on trumpet, Luques Curtis on bass and John Lamkin on drums. Pianist Zaccai Curtis, the brother of Luques, joins the band for one track as well. The Survivor is about a different kind of swing; not the traditional style that Harrison fans have come to expect over the course of his career, but rather a more contemporary version that is no less compelling.

- "Everywhere Harrison lilts his fire-bright wit and fertile facility." - Down Beat

- "One of the most musicologically literate players to come along in ages." - The New York Times

- "Donald always strives for that little extra." - Jazzwise